NOTES -- John 15-17

Thu Dec 20 15:47:10 PST 2007

*"TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*PO Box **25116 – Federal Way** **WA** **98093-2116***

*Tel: 253.874.4265 – Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: 2rbetter.org – **December 20, 2007***

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*"NOTES" – John 15-17*

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At the end of last month I mailed out 4 sets of notes following John 13-14.
Now I am mailing out the notes to John 15-17.

These 5 chapters intimately tie together Jesus' teaching on the Holy Spirit,
and how His coming as the Paraclete is related to the "Finished Work" of
Christ.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit as part of "The Peter Package" of Acts 2:38,
does not require "tarrying" since the day of Pentecost. J.E. Stiles in his
book on this subject, deals with this. This is one of the 12 Embryonic
Revival Principles restored in the1948 Northern Canada Visitation. February
11, 2008 is the 60th Anniversary of this event, and will be celebrated at
St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Seattle February 10th and 11th. Marie and I
as the last living elder and wife have been invited to take part.

Simeon is the 2nd tribe of Israel in the prophetic chapter of Genesis 49,
when Jacob prophesied over his 12 sons. Just as God "heard" Leah's prayer
for another son, so the Holy Spirit "hears" from the Father and the Son for
the testimony God has for Jesus. South Korea is a nation that through Dr.
David Younggi Cho has made real the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and is noted
for pasturing the largest church in the world – some 750,000 members.

May these words lead us all to understand the deep regard God has for these
5 chapters.

Jim Watt

*John 15:1-16 *

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*NOTE:*  12 Embryonic Revival Principles came together in 1948 as
Restoration Truths – 7 of them through George R. Hawtin. God started to form
them in his life in a specific manner in 1935 in Star City, Saskatchewan.
One of them is in our text – John 15:5b – "For apart from Me you can do
nothing!"

In 1945 God sovereignly led me following my Navy discharge to Bethel Bible
Institute of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, founded by George R. Hawtin. Often
Brother Hawtin led the Chapel worship in the morning. One of his favorite
choruses was –

*Without You – we can do nothing;*

*Without You – we'd surely fail;*

*Without You – we'd only be drifting –*

*Like a boat without a sail.*

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This was the heart of Brother Hawtin, and like King David of old, he desired
to walk in an abiding relationship with Jesus. Did David walk perfectly in
this relationship? No – and neither did George Hawtin or any other human
being.

J. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission and close friend of
George Muller – was another who treasured the truth of this verse. But it
didn't happen until 20 years after he started walking with the Lord. Then
one day he was ascending the Yangtze River on a Chinese Junk. And as he sat
on the deck watching the passing mountains – without warning the Lord
dropped into his heart the absolute truth of John 15:1-16. Mrs. Howard
Taylor wrote "Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret" on the basis of this
revelation. Scarce a letter he wrote following this revelation, but he did
not challenge his readers to receive and walk in the truth of us as branches
– effortlessly bearing fruit by abiding in the Vine! Following this
revelation, he saw the Lord through him accomplish 2-3 times the
fruitfulness of the past through him, with but one half the effort on his
part.

And finally, John 15:16 is probably the key verse to this passage. Dr. E.
Stanley Jones released God to move through him each time he preached – on
the basis of the truth of this verse. It is NOT US – but JESUS who initiates
His plan through us – and uses us. And our abiding fruitfulness is because
of HIM, not us. Oswald Chambers effectively and powerfully sets forth this
truth in his writings.

For me then – THIS PASSAGE shines forth as a powerful example of how Jesus
releases the Holy Spirit through us to accomplish His Father's purposes and
to let His Glory shine forth.

*John 15:17-27*

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*NOTE:*  Jesus gives us an insight concerning the true cause of persecution.
In ten sentences from various aspects for our information and understanding
– He CLEARLY reveals its cause.

Then suddenly – He moves back to the coming ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Through signs and wonders, and through His gifts, the Holy Spirit shall
effectively make the true nature of Jesus known, and His relationship to the
Father. THIS shall be the main witness of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' behalf.

And with scarcely a pause, Jesus immediately commissions His 12 disciples to
do the same also – because of their relationship with Him from the
beginning.

And how does THIS relate to us? By going back to the Great Commission in
Matthew 28:18-20, we clearly understand that these words in John 13 – 17 to
the 12, are to be passed along to US. Then we too are to carry on an
effective witness to Jesus through the Mighty and Effective Enablement of
the Holy Spirit -- our Comforter!

*John 16:1-15*

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*NOTE:*  This passage sets forth the truth that the coming of the COMFORTER
– the Spirit of Truth – is directly dependant upon the "Finished Work" of
Christ. He Himself says so!

"Expediency" nails down the absolute necessity for Calvary and the
Ascension. It is FAR BETTER for the Holy Spirit to be IN us, that for Jesus
to be WITH us.

Some have sentimentally expressed the wish that they could have lived on
earth during the days of Jesus. He explicitly states that we today live in a
better day than back then.

Rees Howells testifies to this truth through his experience in Intercession.
By all means read his biography by Norman P. Grubb, "Rees Howells,
Intercessor." Many have found this reading a life-transforming experience.
One brother has read it each month since 1975.

In verse 13 Jesus shows that the Holy Spirit in us guides us into ALL Truth,
and that He does NOT speak FROM Himself. He represents Jesus, just as Jesus
represented the Father.

These fifteen verses are so rich, that one can read and reread them –
meditate on their truths – pray over them, and trust the Holy Spirit to do
within us just what Jesus has proclaimed. And still their riches will be
unexhausted!

See the progression from John 13 to this point. The ultimate comes when we
reach John 17. Dr. A.W. Tozer preached from this last chapter for many, many
weeks in his Chicago church on Sunday mornings, back in the early '50's.
Marie and I traveled south in Chicago to hear him on a number of occasions.

To be inwardly aware and intimate with God in His Spirit – is to be rich
even as Jesus was as Son of Man in the days of His earthly life.

*John 16:16-33*

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